26.6.11

So, as you may have seen on my Facebook posts or heard from being part of the LGBT community, Sao Paulo is known for hosting the largest Pride Parade in the world. With more than 3 million people participating, it was a MUST see/photograph event for me. I water proofed my camera with a shopping bag and some masking tape and we set out into the rain to shake our booty's down Avenida Paulista with 3 million other LGBT supporters. As soon as we got off the metro, probably more than 100 ft underground, we could feel the bass from the floats passing by over head. It was an experience I won't soon forget. People dancing, smiling, making out with strangers. The Brazilians are not a shy folk when it comes to PDA. Add a couple hundred thousand excited, slightly intoxicated gay boys and girls you get a whole lot of lovin' going on in the streets. See for yourself.

This was just a portion of the parade. It was MASSIVE.

Lovers

Father and Son

Everyone wanted me to take their photo. It was a refreshing departure from having to sneak the photographs.

23.6.11

Apparently, today is a holiday in Brazil. We, unfortunately, found this out by showing up at the Mercado Municipal at 4 only to see the doors closing early for the holiday. Damn it. So, we decided to take advantage of the few daylight hours that were left and took some photographs. This was specifically fun for me considering I was using a new lens. A 50mm 1.4 Pentax lens to be exact. It was limiting in a lot of ways but it forced me to change my perspective as a photographer. I had one range instead of multiple with my 18mm-200mm lens I usually use. I also really liked the softness this lens gave when I took the aperture all the way down to 1.4. Not the best work I've done but the first in Sao Paulo.

21.6.11

My last night in America was spent playing Tetris with 2 pieces of luggage and a large back pack. It was spent in the most plush and fancy hotel I've ever had the privilege of staying, courtesy of my uncle, The Hilton Bentely. Ridiculous. As I was packing I glanced out the window and noticed the beautiful sunset the storm clouds had created. To the West the sun set over the city and to the East over the turqoise waters, a rainbow. Out of all the skies I've had the privilege of passing under in the past 2 months, Miami's has been hands down the most breathtaking. Sunset and mid-day. I'd like to think that rainbow was there only for me. Something out there wishing and assuring me "boa sorte", good luck.

8.6.11

I've never seen or experienced something as powerful as this natural wonder. 20 ft rapids on the CO River become water washing over pebbles and a massive gorge becomes a scratch in the dirt. I don't really even want to post photos because they just don't do the Grand Canyon a fraction of the justice it deserves. But alas, how else are you going to keep up with my enviable life. :) Live it.

6.6.11

LA. Sucks. But despite being stuck in (even though I chose to visit) this suburban sprawl wasteland, I really enjoyed myself. Nina and James hosted my broke ass and their kitty Desmond was on snuggle duty during the night and many a naps. <3 We hit up the usual. Venice Beach, the Hollywood sign and of course the oh so necessary punk rock show.

Seeing as it was Memorial Day weekend, we decided to honor our Vets the only way we knew how. Good old fashioned white trash BBQ. Complete with squirt guns, water balloons, 2 buck Chuck sangria, Coors Lights, and the most well designed American grill ever designed, created by none other than Mr. George Foreman. The evening before was the high point of my drunkeness on this trip, spent at The Dwarves show, so I had to sit this drinking excursion out. I ended up passing out before the sun even went down. Boooo.

In order to redeem our trashy selves, James and I decided to have a cultural and class filled day at the Getty Museum of Art. This compound was gorgeous! My favorite exhibit was Picturing Cuba. I loved the post revolutionary photographs by different photographers taken in the past 20 years. Really a great visual documentation of how the country has been affected and how ingenuitive the people of the country have been.

Of course the best part of being in LA was getting to see Nina again. We reminisced through old photo albums of our psychotic teen aged years spent under age drinking and being complete fucking idiots with no care in the world. Ah, those were the days. Things have definitely changed but it's been nice to see that every single one of my friends has remained the same in all the right ways. Photo time.

Welcome to Hollywood! Whats yo dream?!

Smoke Signals

Pork, Beef and Bacon patties made by yours truly and grilled to prefection by Mr. Foreman